Monday, May 27, 2013

Please allow
me to introduce myself. My name is Mark Pennington. I am a newly retired
teacher/high school administrator of 35 years plus. Originally I was
trained as a research biologist but soon realized that while my passion was
science, I was drawn to teaching as opposed to test tubes. The beauty of it
all: I was able to combine both into an amazing career.

I am a big
fan of your public contributions and perspectives. I have listened to you
engage with many people on WGN radio for many years. Your style,
presentation, and insights – while I may not always agree – have always been
thought provoking. I would expect nothing less from one educator to
another.

Most recently,
I have listened to your commentary regarding the public “pension crisis” the
State of Illinois is facing with great interest. After listening to you
on the Mike McConnell show this week, I am compelled to send you this letter.
This is one of those times I take exception to your commentary because what you
said was incomplete and, as a result of your forum, can and does have an undue
influence on the general public opinion.

Let me
paraphrase your comments [on May 21, 2013]:

This pension
issue needs to be addressed. It is costing 18 million dollars a day... If not
addressed, it will reallocate revenues intended for other critical programs
that will impact a great many Illinois citizens. If there is no pension
resolution, then the only solution is to raise taxes…

What
concerns me is the incomplete context in which these ideas were
presented. You are correct that this is a revenue problem, and it is
obvious to the casual observer that the current flat-rate income tax cannot support
the current fiscal needs of the state because it is regressive and penalizes those
that can least afford it…

I have never
heard you allude to or make the connection to the fact that it was the monies
collected for the pension funds that was redirected to many of these programs that
you mentioned would suffer when/if revenue is redirected. In other words,
citizens of the State of Illinois have benefited by Illinois legislators
robbing Peter to pay Paul to finance these programs instead of being honest regarding
the deficient revenue stream and the need to upgrade the taxing system that
meets the needs of 21st century citizens and demands.

Knowing that
you have a growing relationship with Ty Fahner, let me remind you of some of
his perspectives: “Let's recall what Ty Fahner, president of the Civic
Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago and a former Attorney General of
Illinois, said about reneging on contracts in his interview with Phil Ponce on
WTTW (April 25): ‘This [public pension financial
mess] was not created by the people entitled to the benefits... Well, if this
happened in the private sector… if someone didn't pay in the money… there would
be prosecutions going.’ Moreover, according to Jack Tucker, ‘At one time Ty
Fahner was employed as legal counsel for TRS. He assured Trustees at that
time that their pensions were constitutionally guaranteed, and they should not
fret over underfunding’” (What do we think about Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s exclusion of Illinois judges from his pension reform bill?).

Where is
your indignation regarding these legislative abuses and their impact on all the
citizens of Illinois? Apparently, Mr. Fahner's chameleon-like qualities
suit the audiences in front of him at the moment. Apparently, legislators are
immune to prosecution since none has happened... Had those pension funds been
used as intended, this pension crisis would not exist...

I am a “closet
historian” and when I have the opportunity to read for pleasure, I read revolutionary
and colonial history. I find it strange that many legislators do not
honor and protect the constitutions; instead of being honest with their
constituents, they are preparing for a court battle to circumvent the documents
that promotes public trust and removes the judicial pension system from the
impact of their pension reform. This is disturbing because a) their
solutions will not solve the identified legislative problems, and they will be asking
for more; b) if they can do this to any segment of Illinois citizenry, then who
will be next?

Not providing
the necessary historical context on this issue instigates anger and resentment
for public employees. They have done nothing wrong except perhaps pay for their contractually-guaranteed
earned benefits that will be diminished by current politicians.

Teacher/Poet/Musician

Copyrights & Fair Use: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material available in my efforts to advance understanding of issues vital to a democracy. I believe this constitutes a “fair use” of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law.

Persona

A writer must “know and have an ever-present consciousness that this world is a world of fools and rogues… tormented with envy, consumed with vanity; selfish, false, cruel, cursed with illusions… He should free himself of all doctrines, theories, etiquettes, politics…” —Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914?). “The nobility of the writer's occupation lies in resisting oppression, thus in accepting isolation” —Albert Camus (1913-1960). “What are you gonna do” —Bertha Brown (1895-1987).